Enlisted

by Nathan Pedde

  Des took pictures, slowly making his way around the room. The camera took the picture with different spectrums of light. He started with long range panoramic shots from different angles and spaces. After twenty minutes of different pictures, something seemed off.

  “Hey, Elsie,” Des called.

  “Yes, what’s up?”

  “Does something seem wrong about all of this?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “The situation. Someone hit our safehouse and trashed it,” Des said. “They wrecked the place. Why?”

  “Why what?”

  “Why trash the place?” Des asked.

  Elsie was silent for a moment. “I don’t know. That’s a good question.”

  Des left the bedroom and walked into the living room. Elsie followed behind him. A look of concern marked her face. Cooley and Cryslis were huddled on top of a pile of tablets and cables.

  “Hey, Cooley, what are we missing?”

  “What do you mean?”

  Des motioned all around. “The place is trashed, and we’re picking up the pieces. If this was kids, there shouldn’t be much missing. Did you have any cash sitting here? Or anything which looked valuable? Those will be gone, but the valuable things full of important things will still be here.”

  “The game station is still here,” Cryslis said. “With most of the games.”

  “Exactly,” Des said. “Cause it’s the older model. But, is the game Wonderland Adventures still here?”

  “Why that game?”

  “It’s a cult classic any gaming nerd will die to get their hands on.”

  Cooley stood up and walked to the pile of game system components. “It’s still here.”

  “What about the essential stuff? The data?”

  “Hard drives are here, but they’re fried,” Cooley said.

  Des looked at the metal hard drive tower. The tower was ripped open, and the computer chips were blackened and smoking. Des scrutinized the hard drive. Wedged into a computer chip was a small pin. More specifically, it was a shock stick pin.

  “This system was intentionally fried with a pin shooter,” Des said. “I bet the hard drive was cleared of data before it was shot.”

  Elsie cleared her throat. “What about the scanner?”

  “That’s right?” Des said. “Does Sheemo have the scanners or did we have them?”

  “I duplicated the scanner, and I’ve been tinkering with my copy,” Cooley replied.

  Cooley stood up and walked across the room to a closet. The closets doors were ripped off its hinges, and the contents had been spread across the room. Cooley looked through a pile of boxes and opened one.

  “The scanner is gone,” Cooley said.

  “It can’t be,” Cryslis said. “I looked for it first thing.”

  Cryslis walked into the kitchen and came back with what looked like Sheemo’s scanner.

  “It’s right here.”

  “That’s not the scanner,” Cooley said. “It is a new shell for a new scanner. I was trying to improve it. It doesn’t even turn on.”

  Des rubbed his eyes. Stress crept up from the back of his neck.

  Des grabbed a fold-up chair and plopped it down by the card table. He collapsed in it and stretched his neck.

  “The place was attacked,” Des said, “and we didn’t think to secure the scanner first.”

  “I thought it was,” Cryslis said. “I made a mistake.”

  “We have the one Sheemo has,” Cooley said. “But now the enemy, whoever that is, has a scanner as well.”

  “Can they see what we were scanning for?” Cryslis asked.

  “Not that I know of,” Cooley said. “but I’ve no idea what they got from the computers before they fried them.”

  “Now what?” Elsie asked. “Are we floating dead here?”

  The four of them looked at each other.

  “Did we get the living room documented before we started to sift through it?” Des asked.

  “Yes and no,” Elsie answered. “Cooley and Cryslis both walked through it a couple of times before I kicked them out.”

  “Let’s see the data.”

  Elsie went to Des and sat beside him in her own chair. She smelled of lavender. Des closed his eyes briefly, inhaling her scent. He caught himself looked at her and not her camera. He forced himself to focus on the task at hand. She turned on the display and started to sift through the footage. Des went through the footage quickly.

  “Can I see the documentation of those couple potted plants?” Des asked.

  “Why?” Elsie asked.

  “I want to see if I can get some footprints to analyze.”

  Cooley strode over to them.

  “Get me some photos of the footprints, and I can tell you want size, brand, and model the shoe was,” Cooley said.

  Elsie took the camera from Des and flipped through the camera quickly.

  “Here you go,” Elsie said handing the camera to Cooley. “The next ten photos.”

  Cooley walked over to a small bag sitting by the door. He pulled out a small backpack.

  “They didn't steal the bag?” Des said.

  “No. It was on me when they hit the safehouse,” Cooley replied.

  “Too bad the scanner wasn’t in it,” Des said.

  Cooley didn’t say anything, but Des caught a glare from Cooley.

  “Just saying…” Des said.

  Cooley sat on another chair and started opening programs.

  Cryslis pulled out a small computer of her own.

  “Do you guys all have computers in your bags?” Des asked.

  Elsie pulled her computer out of her bag. “Get with the times. Having a hundred small tablets you’ve packed with schoolwork is old school.”

  Cryslis smiled and sat beside Des.

  “Here is something I’ve gotten my hands on,” Cryslis said.

  She turned the computer toward Des. The computer showed a picture of a shadowy figure who stood at an entrance to the Undercroft.

  “I know that set of doors,” Des said.

  “That’s the entrance to the part of the Undercroft where you almost got spaced,” Cryslis said. “It’s a still photo from a security camera.”

  “Where did you get the footage?” Des asked.

  “I hacked the construction company renovating the sector. A door was left open, and some supplies were stolen, so they set up some cameras to record who goes in or out. The image is from a live feed to the door.”

  “Why don’t they give the data to station security?” Des asked.

  “They don't have the authority to set up hidden cameras,” Cryslis said.

  Des gazed at the figure. It was hard to tell who it was. The person was little more than a blurry shadow. Des looked at the markings on the doorway and where the figure’s head was in relation.

  “I have an idea,” Des said. “But I need to investigate it first.”

  “Are you planning on going into the Undercroft?” Cryslis asked.

  “Yes,” Des said. “Has the breach been repaired?”

  “It has,” Cryslis said. “Go as Ryder in civilian clothes. I’ll get you authorization to be there.”

  Des strode to the doorway to leave the safehouse. “Cooley, how long until you have some data on the footprint?”

  “I’ll have it by the time you get to the Undercroft,” Cooley answered.

  “Perfect.”

  “Make sure you get all of our boot prints, so we know it isn’t a false lead,” Cryslis said.

  “I was already doing that,” Cooley replied.

  “Des, one more thing,” Cryslis called. “Take Elsie with you. I don’t want you wandering around in the Undercroft by yourself.”

  Des nodded and left the safehouse with Elsie.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Des and Elsie took their hover-scooters to the entrance to the Undercroft. He was paranoid as they weaved their way down the street. Des was confident they were being followed but couldn’t prove it. He saw n
o one who was obviously following them. It had to be multiple people working as a team.

  He walked up to the door to the Undercroft with Elsie following close behind him. Des remembered running into the Undercroft not long ago trying to stop the last attack. Part of him thought it wasn’t too long ago. However, it felt like a lifetime ago.

  Des was dressed in street clothes with his Ryder's face on. Elsie had her own disguise on. It gave her a crooked nose, high checks, and larger lips. With mouse brown hair.

  “What are we going to do if we get caught by someone down here?” Elsie asked.

  “I’m not sure,” Des replied, “Cryslis was saying she was going to get us authorization.”

  “Do we even need to go in?”

  “What brought me in was the blurry picture of the target going into the Undercroft,” Des said.

  “What do you mean?”

  Des stood next to the doorway. Beside the door was a faded red colored sign. Des could barely make out the words.

  “I noticed the height the guy was. Take a picture of me next to this sign for reference.”

  Elsie pulled her camera out and did so. “What do you mean height?”

  “I’ll have to compare it to the picture Cryslis showed us, but I don’t think it was someone very tall. I think it may have been someone our age.”

  “You think someone our age is involved?” Elsie asked.

  “I do.”

  Des walked up to the door and jiggled the handle. Locked. Des pulled out a small card. He placed it into the door lock. The digital display flashed red letters at him: Access Denied.

  “My hacked card doesn’t work,” Des said. “They have changed the codes. It’ll take me a day or so to rework my card.”

  “Hey, Cooley?” Elsie said. “I need access to the Undercroft… Yep… His card doesn’t work… I’ll make fun of him later… Thanks, Cooley.”

  A few moments later, the door clicked green and opened.

  “Let’s go,” Elsie said.

  Elsie walked into the Undercroft, and Des followed behind her. They strode down the hallway. Nothing changed much since Des had been there last. The piles of tools and material had been moved, but the place was still a big mess.

  Going farther down the corridor brought back memories of that day. He didn’t like the feelings it brought. He forced himself to bury the emotions back down. Now he had to face them again.

  After a few minutes of walking, Des approached the small open maintenance door.

  “Cooley says he got the door for us,” Elsie said.

  Des opened the door to the small room.

  “We’re in here now,” Elsie said. “The scene of the crime.”

  “Yup,” Des agreed.

  Des walked around the room. It appeared to be similar to when he was previously here. Except for the large section of the far wall built out of new material. The metal was shiny and bright in comparison to the faded dark metal of the other three walls and the floor.

  “What are you looking for?” Elsie said.

  “I don’t know,” Des replied, pointing to their footprints in the dust. “For a room which was swept clean from being under the vacuum of space, this place is so bloody dirty.”

  “I was wondering about that,” Elsie said. “I was in a newly renovated part of the Undercroft, and this place is filthy.”

  “At least we know no one has been down here is a while,” Des said.

  “The contractor probably didn’t clean up the room.”

  Des crouched down, staring at a spot on the floor.

  “The device sat there.” Des said, pointing at one place on the floor.

  “Okay…” Elsie said. “What now?”

  “I’m missing something. Something I saw on the day of the attack, and I made a mental note about. But now I can’t seem to remember it.”

  “I’m sure it’ll come to you,” Elsie said.

  Des stood up with a start.

  “The floor,” Des said, wiping at the dusty floor with his foot.

  Bare metal showed underneath the layer of dust.

  “It was something to do with the floor,” Des said. “Help me clear up some of this dust.”

  “What are we looking for?” Elsie asked.

  “I don’t know,” Des said. “But if you see something, please tell me.”

  Des swept the dust to one side of the room with his foot leaving steaks on the metal.

  “Over here,” Elsie said.

  Des walked to the other side of the metal. A large spill of dried white paint sat on the metal. Des jumped onto his hands and knees and started to sweep the dust away from the metal floor. A couple of boot prints sat next to the spill of paint.

  “This is it,” Des said. “This was still wet when I got here that night. One of those boot prints is mine, while the other one is from the bastard who planted the device.”

  Elsie stood up and pulled out her camera.

  “Stand back,” Elsie said. “We’ll need to analyze this data.”

  A loud bang echoed from beyond the doorway and down the Undercroft’s corridor.

  “I told you there were new boot prints over here,” a voice echoed from the hallway.

  “I heard voices over that way,” a second voice said.

  Des listened to the familiar voices echoing down the Undercroft’s corridor. A chill rose on Des’s spine. This wasn’t going to end well.

  “Take those photos,” Des said, turning to Elsie. “We need to leave.”

  Elsie snapped the photos of the shoe prints.

  “Cooley,” Elsie said. “Do we have a secured line?" Elsie paused for a moment. "Cooley… Are you there?" She turned back to Des. "There is no contact with him.”

  Des pulled out a pin shooter from his pocket.

  “Hey,” the familiar voice said. “That kid looks familiar.”

  Standing in the doorway were Airnee and Fred. Des aimed the pin shooter at Airnee. He squeezed the trigger as the doorway slid shut. The pin bounced off the door.

  “Sit tight,” Airnee said from the other side. “We’re going to go get our friend. He isn’t going to be happy with you two.”

  Des heard the footsteps fade away. He ran up to the door and jiggled the handle. It was locked.

  “Now what do we do,” Elsie asked.

  Des looked around at the room once more.

  “Can you hack it?” Elsie asked.

  “What do you mean?” Des said.

  “Can you hack the door?” Elsie asked.

  “No,” Des said, pointing at the door handle. “There is no access to this side.”

  Des examined the door and its frame made out of solid metal and a sophisticated frame. There were no hinges he could pop apart. There was no way for him to get through the door.

  “What about the air vent?” Elsie said.

  On the far side of the room was a small air vent. The metal grate was covered in dust.

  “That must be how the dust got in here,” Des said.

  “Stop getting distracted,” Elsie said. “Do you think you can squeeze through the vent?”

  “Maybe, I may get stuck,” Des said. “Maybe you too.”

  “I bet you ten credits you’ll get stuck. However, I can squeeze in anywhere.”

  “Fine.”

  Des knelt, inspecting the vent. It was attached with a couple of screws. It looked like the screws weren’t connected to much of the metal panels due to the room being poorly maintained.

  He grabbed hold of the vent with his fingers and pulled it off. The screws squealed as they slid out of the stripped holes.

  “Ladies first,” Des motioned with a sweep of his hands.

  Elsie plopped down onto her chest and disappeared into the vent head first.

  “It’s tight,” Elsie said. “But I think you can fit too.”

  “Okay,” Des said. “I’m coming in feet first.”

  “Why?”

  “So, I can put the vent back.”

  “Put the vent back?”<
br />
  “Better to make it seem like we disappeared.”

  Des squeezed in. The metal sides of the vent pushed into his shoulders. After a few minutes of struggling, Des managed to place the vent back into place with the screws holding it.

  Des pushed his way backward and watched the vent disappear into the distance.

  After fifteen minutes of sliding on his stomach backward, Des’s feet hit Elsie's.

  “Why did you stop?” Des asked.

  “Shh…” Elsie said. “I hear voices.”

  In the corridor, a couple of voices echoed.

  “What do you mean where did they go?” an unknown voice yelled.

  “They’re gone,” Airnee said.

  “You two have got to get it together and stop with these pranks,” the unknown voice yelled.

  A set of loud footsteps rebounded down the Undercroft’s corridors into the distance and getting closer to them.

  “Keep going,” Des said.

  Elsie’s feet left his as she slid forward down the air vent.

  “Left, or right?” Elsie asked.

  “I have no idea,” Des replied. “Go left.”

  “Okay.”

  Des put his feet into the right pathway of the air vent. With his body on the right path, he saw Elsie's feet and rear end sliding its way through the air vent in front of him.

  “Nice bum,” Des said.

  He regretted the words soon as he said them. He had meant to say them in his head.

  “What?” Elsie asked. “I thought you were going backward?”

  “I turned around,” Des said. “It should be easier this way.”

  “Well, keep your eyes to yourself.”

  Des looked at the metal of the vent. He felt the cheeks of his face turned red. “Sorry.”

  Elsie nodded, continuing to slide forward through the air vent. After a few moments, Elsie stopped.

  “There is good news and bad news,” Elsie said.

  “Bad news?” Des asked.

  “We’re at the end of the vent.”

  “How’s that bad? And what’s the good news.”

  “The good news is we’re at the end of the vent.”

  “I’m confused.”